Sony Xperia Z Worlds Thinnest Tablet

Sony’s new tablet shares the water resistant facility offered by its flagship handset. Sony has unveiled what it says is the thinnest tablet computer of its kind. The Android-powered Xperia Z is 0.27in (6.9mm)-thick. That is 0.01in thinner than Apple’s iPad Mini despite featuring a bigger 10.1in screen.

It coincides with news that LG is releasing a 5in handset – the Optimus G Pro – making it the latest to offer the so-called “phablet” form factor. Both devices have only been confirmed for release in Japan, but more details are expected next month.

Mobile World Congress is being held in Barcelona from 25 to 28 February and is a popular time to announce global launches of new smart devices. Samsung has already said it would show off a new 8in version of its Galaxy Note tablet family at the event. Its a Water-resistant tablet

Beyond being thin, Sony’s new tablet can also lay claim to being the lightest for its size. The firm says it weighs 1.1lb (495g) – a fraction below the Toshiba Excite 10 LE which previously laid claim to the title.

In addition it is water and dust-resistant – featuring similar plastic covers to protect its ports as are found on the firm’s Xperia Z smartphone which was announced a fortnight ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The two Sony devices are designed to work together, allowing photos and other data to be transferred between the phone and tablet using the firm’s “one-touch sharing” facility which is activated by waving the machines close to each other to activate their near field communications (NFC) chips.

“It’s a good product and on the face of it it should do well, but it is hampered by a potential squeeze on the larger tablet segment as a lot of consumers and other manufacturers are moving to the smaller 7in-to-8in form factor – in part because of their cheaper price,” David McQueen, principal analyst at the Informa Telecoms and Media consultancy, told the BBC.

“So the success of the Sony tablet might ultimately be determined by how much it costs as well as whether the firm bundles some of the content it owns from its music, movie and gaming divisions.”